Emma Roberts (Scream 4, “American Horror Story”) is set to star in the horror film A Body in the Woods from Hell House LLC writer-director Stephen Cognetti.

Roberts will play Alice Lincoln, a woman at the turn of the century living deep in the Marshall Woods, a place long-plagued by legends of a menacing witch. When Alice is left alone at her remote cabin to keep vigil over the body of an unidentified mine worker, unsettling disturbances in the dark lead Alice to fear the corpse may not be fully at rest.

The appearance of a silent woman at the edge of the forest road traps Alice in a waking nightmare between the growing evil within and the nameless terror waiting beyond her door.

Dave Caplan (Longlegs, The Monkey) of C2 Motion Picture Group will produce and finance.

“Emma brings an intelligence and emotional fearlessness that elevates everything she touches,” said Cognetti. “She understands horror on a cellular level — how to balance vulnerability, strength, and terror.”

He continues, “My goal with A Body in the Woods is to deliver an elevated horror film that tests the limits of fear — not just for our lead character, but for the audience sitting in the dark with her. I want people to leave the theater unsettled, questioning what they saw, and feeling like they survived something.”

Caplan added, “Stephen has consistently proven he can create terrifying, elevated immersive horror experiences. With Emma in the lead, A Body in the Woods is an undeniable package.”

Deadline first reported on the film.